The Big Bear Lake International Film Festival is a non-profit organization dedicated to showcasing the emerging talent of screenwriters and independent filmmakers within the idyllic setting of Big Bear Lake. Our goal is to nurture a festival, which is highly creative, filmmaker friendly and which provides an educational experience for those people interested in all aspects of the film industry.
The festival screens independent feature films, short films, student films, high school student films, documentaries, animation and family films. Jury and Audience Awards are given in each category in addition to a Student Cinematography Award.
Each year there is a special sidebar or cultural showcase - 2007 sidebar was to showcase films relating to mountain activities with an outdoor sports theme and the relationship of people with nature. We also hold a screenwriting competition with agents, managers and producers as jurors in addition to seminars during the Festival.
The 2007 festival presented a Lifetime Achievement Award to five-time Academy Award nominated cinematographer, Allen Daviau, ASC ("E.T." The Extra-Terrestrial, "The Color Purple", "Empire of the Sun", "Avalon", and "Bugsy"). Another Lifetime Achievement Award was given to famed producer A.C. Lyles (who has been with Paramount Pictures since 1928 and made westerns a staple of that studio).
The 2007 opening night film was "Into the Wild" which was written and directed by Sean Penn. Among the films screened in the past at our Opening Night Gala were "The Last Kiss," "Ladies in Lavender," "Finding Home," "Secondhand Lions," “Moonlight Mile,” “Hearts of Atlantis” and “Almost Famous.”
Ty Warren is the president of the Festival.
Monika Skerbelis is Vice President, Artistic and Programming Director.
